Daily Current Affairs- 12th October 2025

Daily Current Affairs- 12th October 2025

Sonali Sen Gupta Appointed RBI Executive Director

In the News: On October 13, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the appointment of Sonali Sen Gupta as a new Executive Director (ED), effective from October 9, 2025. She previously served as the Regional Director for Karnataka at the Bengaluru Regional Office. Her appointment was announced alongside Sanjay Kumar Hansda, as part of RBI’s ongoing leadership restructuring.

Key Points:

• Departments Under Her Charge: Sonali Sen Gupta will oversee the Consumer Education and Protection Department (CEPD), Financial Inclusion and Development Department (FIDD), and the Inspection Department. These departments play a key role in ensuring consumer protection, expanding financial inclusion, and supervising banking operations.
• Professional Background: She has over three decades of experience in the Reserve Bank of India, having served in diverse areas such as Banking Regulation, Human Resource Management, Supervision, and Financial Inclusion. She has represented the RBI in several national and international committees related to financial inclusion and consumer protection.
• Educational Qualifications: She holds an MBA in Banking and Finance and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF). Her academic and professional qualifications have strengthened her expertise in policy formulation and financial sector governance.
• Major Roles and Representation: She served as a Director on the Board of the National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE) and as the RBI’s Nominee Director on the Board of Indian Overseas Bank. She has represented India in G20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) and the OECD’s International Network on Financial Education (INFE), contributing to global discussions on inclusive finance.
• Strategic Importance: The appointment highlights RBI’s focus on inclusive growth, financial literacy, and consumer protection. With her strong background in regulation and inclusion, Sonali Sen Gupta’s leadership is expected to enhance transparency, strengthen financial education initiatives, and improve inspection standards across the banking system.
• Significance: This appointment also reflects RBI’s commitment to gender diversity in leadership and the promotion of internal talent from regional offices to senior executive positions. Her experience at the state level brings valuable on-ground insights to national policy implementation within the central bank.

Drug Safety Under Scrutiny After 14 Children Die from Toxic Diethylene Glycol Cough Syrup

In the News: In October 2025, at least 14 children in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh died after consuming a locally marketed cough syrup that was later found to contain toxic levels of diethylene glycol (DEG). The deaths have triggered nationwide concern over India’s drug safety standards and the effectiveness of pharmaceutical regulation and quality control mechanisms.

Key Points:

• Contaminated Product Identified: The contaminated cough syrup, marketed under the brand name “Coldrif”, was manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a company based in Tamil Nadu. Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed that the syrup contained diethylene glycol in concentrations far exceeding the permissible limit.
• Extent of Contamination: Two other cough syrups, Respifresh TR (manufactured by Rednex Pharmaceuticals, Gujarat) and ReLife (produced by Shape Pharma, Gujarat), were also found to be contaminated. However, the fatalities were primarily linked to Coldrif.
• Mechanism of Toxicity: Diethylene glycol is a highly toxic solvent used in industrial applications. When ingested, it is metabolized into compounds that cause acute kidney failure, liver damage, neurological impairment, and ultimately death. Early symptoms include vomiting, abdominal pain, and reduced urine output.
• How Contamination Occurs: Contamination typically results from the substitution of pharmaceutical-grade glycerin with cheaper industrial-grade solvents containing DEG. Poor quality control, lack of mandatory testing, and negligence in raw material sourcing are major causes behind such toxic contamination.
• Regulatory and Legal Actions: Following the incident, the manufacturing license of Sresan Pharmaceuticals was revoked, and its production facility was sealed. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations in Chennai linked to the company. The firm’s owner, G. Ranganathan, has been arrested and faces charges including culpable homicide and drug adulteration.
• Government and Regulatory Response: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and state drug authorities have initiated a nationwide inspection drive to test all liquid formulations for traces of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. Over 30 pharmaceutical companies in Madhya Pradesh and other states have come under investigation for potential violations.
• Regulatory Gaps and Challenges: The tragedy has exposed major weaknesses in India’s domestic drug quality surveillance. While medicines meant for export undergo multiple levels of testing, drugs sold domestically often face less rigorous oversight. Lack of batch-wise pre-market testing, traceability of raw materials, and inadequate post-market surveillance remain key gaps.
• International Context: Similar cases of DEG poisoning have been reported in other countries, including The Gambia (2022) and Uzbekistan (2022), where toxic Indian-manufactured syrups were linked to child deaths. These incidents have raised global concerns over India’s pharmaceutical export standards.

Filmfare Awards 2025

In the News: The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025, one of India’s most prestigious cinematic award ceremonies, were held on October 11, 2025, at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This marked the first time the Filmfare Awards were hosted in Gujarat, in collaboration with the Gujarat Tourism Department. The event celebrated excellence in Hindi cinema for the year 2024.

Key Points:

• Hosts and Presentation: The awards ceremony was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, and Maniesh Paul. Shah Rukh Khan’s return as a Filmfare host after 17 years was one of the evening’s major highlights, adding grandeur and nostalgia to the event.

• Major Award Winners:

  – Best Film: Laapataa Ladies

  – Best Director: Kiran Rao for Laapataa Ladies

  – Best Actor (Male): Abhishek Bachchan (I Want to Talk) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) — shared award

– Best Actress (Female): Alia Bhatt for Jigra

– Critics’ Choice Best Film: I Want to Talk

– Best Debut (Female): Nitanshi Goel for Laapataa Ladies

 – Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi for Main Atal Hoon

• Dominating Film: Laapataa Ladies emerged as the biggest winner of the night with 13 awards out of its 24 nominations. The film’s success reaffirmed the growing audience appreciation for content-driven cinema rooted in realism and social themes.
• Other Notable Winners: The action film Kill won six awards in technical and performance categories. Chandu Champion and I Want to Talk also received significant recognition for performances and direction.
• Technical Excellence Awards: The awards for cinematography, editing, and background score highlighted the shift in Bollywood towards storytelling through strong technical craft. Laapataa Ladies received awards for Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Dialogues.
• Significance of Venue: Hosting the ceremony in Ahmedabad marked a significant move away from Mumbai, emphasizing the decentralization of Bollywood events and promoting Gujarat as a growing hub for film tourism and cultural events.

Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 Awarded to László Krasznahorkai

In the News: On October 9, 2025, the Swedish Academy announced that the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to László Krasznahorkai, a Hungarian novelist, “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”

Key Points:

• Laureate Profile: László Krasznahorkai was born in 1954 in Gyula, Hungary. He is known for writing dense, philosophically rich novels that explore existential themes, dystopia, decay, and the human condition.
• Reason for Award: The Swedish Academy cited his “compelling and visionary oeuvre” that, even amid apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art. They described him as “a great epic writer in the Central European tradition … characterized by absurdism and grotesque excess.”
• Literary Style & Themes: Krasznahorkai’s work is often associated with absurdism, grotesque excess, long, winding sentences, dark existential vision, and blending Eastern contemplative tones into his European literary tradition.
• Notable Works & Achievements:

            – Satantango (1985) is one of his breakthrough novels, depicting life in decline on a collective farm.
      – The Melancholy of Resistance is another celebrated novel, often cited for its haunting imagery and existential depth.
 – Herscht 07769 is known for its formal daring—over 400 pages with only one period.
 – He has also received the Man Booker International Prize (2015) and gained international admiration for his contribution to translated literature.

• Reaction & Impact: Krasznahorkai said the Nobel prize came as a surprise. He described it as “more than a catastrophe” (a playful echo of Beckett’s remark) and expressed pride in writing in Hungarian.

SC Halts Aravalli Jungle Safari Over Ecological Concerns

In the News: The Supreme Court of India has temporarily stayed / halted work on the proposed Aravalli Jungle Safari (Zoo Safari) Project in Haryana, citing serious ecological and environmental concerns.

Key Points:

• Project Overview: The safari is planned on about 10,000 acres spanning Gurugram and Nuh districts. It envisages zones for big cats, aviary / bird parks, herpetarium, nature trails, underwater world, and other eco-tourism attractions.
• Legal Petition & Parties: The stay was granted following a petition by retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers and People for Aravallis, arguing the project threatens a fragile ecosystem. The petition titled Dr R P Balwan & Others vs State of Haryana & Others raised issues under forest / environment law contexts.
• Key Ecological Concerns Raised: The Aravalli range is ecologically sensitive, acting as a green buffer for Delhi–NCR, a water recharge zone, pollution sink, and wildlife habitat.
• The proposed constructions — roads, buildings, fencing, captive enclosures — may fragment habitat and disrupt free wildlife movement, leading to edge effects, human-wildlife conflict, and stress to fauna.
  Risk of irreversible damage to biodiversity, hydrology, soil stability, and ecological balance in an already stressed region.
  Use of compensatory afforestation funds and commercial infrastructure in lieu of genuine ecological restoration was challenged.
• Court’s Orders / Interim Measures: The Supreme Court directed that no work be undertaken on the safari project until the next hearing (October 15, 2025) and asked the Haryana government to file its response. The court also called for clarity on a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills, which has bearing on eco-sensitive zone demarcation.
• Government’s Position & Rationale: Supporters of the project argue it will promote eco-tourism, wildlife conservation, and economic development, integrating restoration with recreation. The state intends to develop the project in phases, starting with about 2,500 acres in Phase I.